In My Life
by lina-tone
Summary: What do you do when the life you’re living seems to be falling apart? You do what any respectable young person does: you go to New York City.
1. Prologue

All song lyrics are copyright to The Beatles. I take no credit for them.

This story is copyrighted by me. © Carolina Pistone

In My Life

Prologue

Jude's heavy breathing pounded in his ears, nearly overpowering the deep beating of his heart. He seemed to swiftly glide down the stairs. He was running to see her; he wanted to hold her, touch her. In his mind he held clear the image of her blonde hair glimmering in the soft light of the sun.

She was just one building away and he could not seem to force his legs to move any faster.

There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I've loved them all

Light drowned his senses for a moment as he burst out the doors. Sadie's voice rang out of the microphone. She had started to sing another song, but he was deaf to it.

He forced his way past the police line and began to dig through the crowd. He was so close.

A wave of cheers swam through the audience as if his push past the officers had been a push of rebellion. His hurry to hold Lucy was misinterpreted as a cry of revolution against "the man", against LBJ and Vietnam, against conformity. But it was really much more simple than all that.

But of all these friends and lovers

There is no one compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning

When I think of love as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I love you more

He paused an instant once inside the building, as if realizing that this moment was real. He let that realization sweep though him, but only for a moment.

Before he could even mount the first step, a glimmer of gold caught his eye; golden locks stopped abruptly a floor above him and his eyes locked with Lucy's. The only sounds were the constant thumps of the lover's hearts, and suddenly Jude and Lucy were in one another's arms, lips locked in a tight embrace.

Time stood still as Jude softly kissed Lucy's lips, her eyelids, her neck. Sadie's voice faintly rang in from outside.

"Lucy, I'm sorry." But he did not need to say sorry, he knew that. And so did she. Because the past was irrelevant now.

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I love you more

In my life I love you more

As they walked out into the now scattered crowd, Jude refused to let go of Lucy's hand. Their smiles seemed as if they would never fade, and above them a small cry of approval rang out from Max.

The pair walked as if the previous months had never even taken place; but they were forever imprinted by them, their love stronger for it. Now each move, each step, each breath seemed light, dancing to the unmistakable touch of love.

Another cry rang out from Max and he leapt towards the pair, embracing both. "Damn it feels good to have things back to normal!"

Sadie and the others were just now exiting the building that had been host to their impromptu concert.

"Max, I can't believe you knew and didn't tell me." Lucy's reproach was playful.

"Yeah well, little sister, you can get me back for that later. Right now I gotta get back to driving that taxi around."

"What, you're leaving so soon?" Jude found himself surrounded by his old friends who were offering their congratulations on his return and his and Lucy's reconciliation.

"Yeah, well you love birds celebrate. I've got a date with my cab." Before anyone could complain, Max was halfway in his yellow car. "And don't wait up. I'll be late tonight!"

As he drove off, the others began to disperse as well.

Jude still held Lucy's hand firmly, his eyes locked on hers.

"What do you say Livvy boy if we go back to the apartment?"

Jude's eyebrow playfully met the end of his hairline. "And now just what are you suggesting?"

He was answered with a coy laugh and the two walked off together.

In the distance a young girl with a rugged pouch sat at a street corner selling homemade beaded necklaces, a small crowd gathering to consider her merchandise.

Cars sped either way, only overpowered by the masses. Soft music played out into the streets, laughter filled the air, and a group of youths ran around chanting a tale of love and freedom.


	2. A New Life

A New Life

Two hundred dollars. Two hundred dollars folded neatly, tucked away in that leather pack, the one that was so worn it seemed like brittle leaves billowing in the autumn air.

The bag reverberated with the sound of tiny beads hitting against one another as her strong hand picked it up, throwing it haphazardly across her right shoulder. Her warm breath was visible in the night air, forming clouds of smoke that disappeared almost instantly, leaving no trace of their existence save a faint warmth.

Her legs felt numb. Of course they would, covered only in her torn jeans. She had been walking for hours in the blackness, swallowed by nothing on all sides except the occasional street lamp. One flickered continuously, its buzzing all she could hear.

She was leaving home. She had to. Trapped there so long, she had begun to feel her feet grow roots, ones that would never be moved; they would rot, and so would she.

Memories flooded Julia's empty mind. Eighteen and on her way to college, to success, to a life outside this town with its square houses, square lawns, and even squarer people. And then her father fell ill, real ill; and his condition ravenously ate away at their savings, its teeth clenched shut and its appetite insatiable.

Her mother was broken, consoled only by the fact that her husband would not have to go back to the war. "If it's not the damn war it's that sickness of his that will kill him," she use to complain every day right before being consumed by sobs.

No money, no college, no future. Not for Julia; not as long as she had to stay home to care for the children her mother was too weak to raise; not as long as the little money they had left was for her father; not as long as there was always one special student who deserved that scholarship more than she did.

Two years of being the adult she was never meant to be, of seeing friends move on and up, of living her life in turmoil just as the world around her fell, too. And then her father recovered, his sickness lifted away like birds that occasionally stopped by during migration. By then, it was too late to pick up from where her life had been cut off, her other life, for things were no longer as they had been before.

Two hundred dollars. Her old leather bag, her bead collection, three pairs of clothes, and some bread. These were her sole companions on her journey to New York City, where old lives can be erased, forgotten, and replaced by something new, better, fresh.

The lights, they called her away from her thoughts. They were traveling quickly down the road. Her thumb stuck out, asking to join them, and they stopped.

"Hey there, girlie. Where you headed to?" The old man's voice was rough and his car smelled of marijuana.

"New York City. Can you take me there?:

With a smile, the man patted the passenger seat and Julia obligingly joined the hippie. She was close to her new life.

………………………………...

The commotion was her first clue that they had arrived. She had fallen asleep in the man Joe's car. He had talked to her about his life, the way stoners did, with a philosophical air about him. He told about how he had shot his foot to prevent being sent to war. All the while his words were interrupted so that he could take a long, slow drag of his joint.

A dense white smoke escaped his mouth as he looked to Julia, who was just stirring from her sleep. It was dark out, but lights illuminated the night everywhere. People walked the streets, music danced in the air. The city was alive.

"We're here, darling. And this is as far as I go. I've got some place I gotta be so I can't take you no further." Joe grinned, flashing his yellow teeth with a genuine feeling of companionship.

Julia rubbed her eyes and thanked her driver. She stepped out of the car with her bag in hand, waved goodbye to Joe, and watched his broken car wheeze away, leaving behind it a thick cloud of smoke.

People walked by her as if she were another lamp post; they were consumed in their own chatter, their laughing, their friends, and she stood alone for a while, her mind taking in the city.

It was night; she needed somewhere to lie down, a bed of some sort, roofless as it may be. Walking through the labyrinth of New York City, too tired to really pay any real attention to it, she found herself joining a small group of vagabonds in an alley. This would be her home, for tonight at least. She had made it to New York City, where would she go from there?

………………………………...

"I think you might wanna get up now, seeing as how its morning and all." The ragged woman poked Julia, grinning a toothless smile. Julia woke up, startled, and her mind remembered where it was.

"You new here, right?" The woman smelled of garbage and sweat. Her skin was not old, yet it was covered in leathery lines and dirt.

A weak murmur of nothings managed to escape Julia's mouth; her freshly awake brain left her confused, and her shock at being cornered by this bum in a badly lit, loitered, grungy alley caused all of her senses to call for an escape.

"Well, you mute or somethin'?" No words. Julia made for her bag, her mouth contorted in a forced smile. "Don't wanna talk to me, huh? I don't blame ya', yous all dressed in clean clothes an' shit." The woman touched Julia's pants, causing her to jump up and scoot away. Her heart was the beating wings of a hummingbird.

The woman raised an eyebrow, looked at Julia with a scoff, and walked away, muttering annoyed.

Releasing the breath she had not noticed she was holding, Julia clutched her bag and made for the street. Exiting the smoky alley, Julia clashed face to face with an explosion of vibrant colors, people with long, shaggy hair, cars, stray dogs, and an energy that seemed to carry through to everything in the street. New York City.

"I'm here." Walking the concrete sidewalks, seeing the various characters, Julia was captivated and her excitement restored. On the street corner, a woman with flowers in her hair danced freely to music that played out of a nearby store. People walked by her as if they were accustomed to random dancers willowing on the concrete. Julia could not help but smile at the freedom.

After hours of exploring her new home, she found herself in Central Park where blankets holding mothers, fathers, lovers, and children covered the earth.

She sat on the grass close to a man plucking a guitar, its music slowly clanging in her ears. He hummed lowly, and his voice melded with the wind:

Sunrise doesn't last all morning, a cloudburst doesn't last all day. Seems my love is up and has left you with no warning. But it's not always going to be this grey. All things must pass, all things must pass away.

Julia unloaded her pack, revealing a large assortment of beaded jewelry and free beads. This was her plan. She would sell jewelry to survive in New York. She scoffed at it, thinking to herself about the obvious lack of sense and thought she had put into it. Her stomach was already growling., she was starting to smell like the poor bum she had been revolted by that morning, and her skin was rough from the night she spent outside. She had her two hundred dollars.

Sunset doesn't last all evening, a mind can blow those clouds away. after all this my love is up and must be leaving. It has not always been this grey. All things must pass, all things must pass away. All things must pass none of life's strings can last. So I must be on my way and face another day.

As her finished jewelry laid out on display, Julia began to string a new necklace, one full of vibrancy like the new world around her. She would figure out what to do soon. For now, she would create on the crisp grass in the warmth of the sun.

Now the darkness only stays at nighttime, in the morning it will fade away. Daylight is good at arriving at the right time. It's not always going to be this grey. All things must pass, all things must pass away. All things must pass, all things must pass away

………………………………...

She had actually sold a few pieces of her work. She now had two hundred and twenty five dollars, and a very empty stomach. The appetizing smell of pizza attracted her to the corner store.

She chewed eagerly on her food, wiping the grease off her still dirty face. Every few moments her thoughts threatened to linger towards her home and family and how they probably had reacted to finding her bed empty and not a single word or letter left from her. But she kept those thoughts away. This was her new life, and that meant that her old one had to be forgotten, or at best placed aside.

The fluorescent lights of the pizza parlor gleamed off the grease on her plate, but she could not keep herself from ordering another slice. A man sat a few tables away from her, and he was eagerly writing on some napkins. He seemed in a trance as he scribbled, scratching his beard and pushing up his round glasses. His sharp curved nose made Julia smile. Artists seemed to be everywhere in this city, even in grungy pizza parlors like this one.

Finishing her meal, Julia noticed a crowd gathered two blocks ahead. Curiosity compelled her to join, especially when a thick, raspy voice began to echo from the rooftop:

Don't let me down, Don't let me downDon't let me down, Don't let me downNobody ever loved me like he doesOooo he does... yes, he does

There seemed to be a concert. Packed tightly in an ever growing crowd, Julia joined her fellow street persons in whistling and yelling approvingly at the music. A girl pushed past softly, her long blonde hair shimmering in the sun's light.

And if somebody loved me like she do meOh, she do meYes she doesDon't let me down, Don't let me downDon't let me down, Don't let me downOh, I'm in love for the first timeDon't you know it's gonna last?It's a love that lasts foreverIt's a love that has no pastDon't let me down, Don't let me downDon't let me down, Don't let me down...

While the music continued to ease its way into the street, Julia closed her eyes, swaying back and forth to the melody. And the song ended. And the police appeared. And the concert was over.

Grunts of disappointment echoed through the air as the audience begged for more. But Julia did not mind that is was over; there would be others, right?

As she walked away from the crowd, down an uneven side path, a soft, raw voice whispered out of the microphone. She stopped, mesmerized:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game

It's easy

There's nothing you can make that can't be made

No one you can save that can't be saved

Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be in you in time

It's easy

All you need is love

All you need is love

All you need is love, love

Love is all you need

Turning around, Julia leaned against a brick wall. It was cold.

There's nothing you can know that can't be known

Nothing you can see that isn't shown

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

It's easy

All you need is love

All you need is love

All you need is love, love

Love is all you need

Her heart fluttered.

Love is all you need.

All you need is love, love

Love is all you need.

………………………………...

She walked in the night again. Her bead business was slow, just as she had guessed it would be. But no matter; she felt at ease in this place. For once, her life was her own.

A car passed by, its radio blaring. It broke the silence for a moment before slowly fading away,

"Hey, watcha got in that bag?" The voice crept up out of nowhere, startling Julia with its abrupt and dark tone. She twirled around quickly to meet eyes with a large man. His eerie appearance was amplified by the sharp shadows covering him.

"Come 'ere, let me check you out." She should have run, should have sped down the street into the nearest bar, should have screamed. Instead, she froze.

"You scared, girlie?" Cold, his voice chilled her body. He came closer. He reached out a hand to grab her.

Instinct kicked in like a slap to the face, and Julia thrust her bag against the man. The pack clashed to the ground, spilling an array of brightly colored beads, and Julia ran. She didn't want to look behind her.

Her feet carried her far and fast, and she stopped paying attention to where they were taking her. She stopped, short of breath. Crouching, her hands on her knees, Julia took in a long drag of air. How far had she gone? And for how long?

A taxi was lazily making its way down the street towards her. She stuck her hand out. It stopped.

Once inside, a young, ragged, blonde-haired man asked, "Where to?"

Julia did not answer. Instead she realized that she had lost her bag in her escape. She wanted to cry. Feeling the bulge in her pocket, she took comfort in the fact that she still had her money. She still wanted to cry.

"Hey, girl, you know I'm supposed to get off the job like… now, so where to?"

Julia looked at the driver, his ocean blue eyes conveying his annoyance.

She hesitated. "Anywhere that's not here." She added, "And where there are people… lots of people." She had nowhere else to go, and she highly doubted this boy would accept to drive her home, not that she wanted to go home.

Max sighed. He did not know what to do with this girl, and it was late. He wanted to go home. He looked to his passenger and was struck by the tears that threatened to burst from her eyes.

"Damn it…" he whispered under his breath. "Fine, I'll take you to my place. Don't worry, there's a lot of us living together."

She had lost count of how many steps they had climbed; but finally Max stopped in front of a door, unlocked it, and said, "Welcome to Paradise. Well, it's not quite Paradise…"

Julia entered the dark apartment.

"You can crash here if you want. We get plenty of unexpected visitors. Speaking of which…"

The thin Asian girl was seated at a worn table opposite a blonde-haired woman.

"Prudence, Rita, what the hell are you two doing up? Waiting for me? I bet you missed me, right?" Max was talking with his mouth full of pizza he had dug out from the refrigerator.

Rolling her eyes, Prudence gave no response. Instead, she turned her attention to Julia who was awkwardly standing by the door like a scared child. "Whose this?"

Max glanced at Julia and he spoke as if he had just remembered she was there. "Oh yeah, I picked her up in my taxi. She wouldn't leave so I just brought her home."

"Does she have a name? Do you have a name?" Rita looked to Julia.

"Julia."

"Well, hey, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm gonna go sleep." Max finished his pizza, stuffing it in his mouth, and walked away into one of the rooms.

"Ignore Max. He's not really right in the head." Prudence scoffed.

"Yeah, with 'Nam and all.:

"He went to Vietnam?"

"Yeah," Prudence stood, "but he was like that before. You can sleep on that couch if you want. Just try not to step on Jude's paintings. Come on sweetheart." Taking Rita's hand in her own, Prudence led the pair into another room, leaving Julia alone in this foreign home.

Carefully, Julia made her way to the couch where she laid down, grateful for the soft mattress below her though it was riddled with bumps and kinks. It was hard to tell where her life was leading her. Would she stay in this house the next day? And even after that? Not knowing excited her.

Within minutes, Julia drifted into a deep sleep.

………………………………...

"So the stranger is finally awake! Good morning." Max was making breakfast as two persons sat at the table. "Hey, sorry, I kinda forgot your name."

"It's Julia." She lifted herself off the couch and found that her neck was stiff.

"Well 'ello, Julia. It's quite the surprise to have a new roommate. I'm Jude. Come sit." His accent struck Julia a bit odd, but she took the chair next to Jude.

The sizzling of Max's cooking filled the room.

"Hi. I'm Lucy. Max, be careful." The girl, Lucy, she was the one who had pushed past Julia at the concert. Even without the powerful light of the sun, her hair glistened.

Max had dropped an egg on the floor. "Shit! Those things are slippery."

"Or maybe it's just you trying to pull off all those fancy tricks with the spatula." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well either way we're down an egg."

"Again? You've already dropped two this week. And I'm starving', Max. As I'm sure Julia is." Jude's voice was soft and his eyes sparkled in a way Julia had never seen eyes sparkle before. She blushed as he looked at her.

Max was digging out another egg from the refrigerator. He hadn't bothered to clean the one he dropped on the floor. "You know, I really don't like being rushed while I'm doing the work, Jude."

"Well, I'll just grab a bite at the diner. I have to be there early today and if I wait for you I'll be late." Lucy picked up her purse and made for the door. Jude grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, a smirk lighting his face.

"When will you be coming home?"

"I don't know." A playful frown answered him. "I have to be in class later today. "

"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna miss you." He softly kissed her lips before letting her go, and her pace as she walked out the door was hesitant.

"There." Max dropped three plates of sloppy eggs and bacon on the table. "If she had just waited a little longer she could have eaten here. I'm sure my cooking beats out anything they can make at that diner" Looking at the food questionably, he sat down and began eating. Julia also began to eat with a little uncertainty. Was it alright for her to be here, eating these people's food, living in their home? When no one made any objections, she decided that it must be.

"I've got to eat fast, too. I'm popping in on Sadie today. They want me to work on another project for the label. This time, though, I think it's for the record cover." Jude took another bite of his eggs before standing and reaching for his jacket in the adjacent room.

"How is Sadie doing? Since that concert she last played I've rarely seen her around, except for yesterday. But she's such a big star and all, I guess we just don't matter anymore." Again, Max spoke with his mouth full.

"Aw, don' be hard on her." Jude spoke as if he hadn't heard the playful sarcasm that seemed ever present in Max's voice. "She's got a lot of work and pressure from her record company."

As the pair continued to talk about people and things she was unaware of, Julia began to feel more and more like an intruder. The fact that they didn't even seem to notice that some stranger was sharing breakfast with them made the situation even more uncomfortable. Julia just wanted to hide away in some hole, that or scream at them, "Hey, I'm right here! You don't know me! I could be a psychopath or thief or ANYTHING and you wouldn't know! Are you people sane?!" Of course, she didn't scream that, or anything. She just sat quietly hoping one of them would notice her.

"Well, I'm off. I'll be seeing you later then Max… and Julia." That was all she needed. That simple acknowledgement was all she needed to tell her that it was alright if she stayed. She had found a home for her new life.

Jude walked out the door, having taken the last bite of bacon from his plate. Silence pervaded, save the chewing from Max. Comfortable enough now with her grant of residence from Jude, Julia finished her food and took both Jude's and her plate to the sink. She then picked up and disposed of the egg that Max had never bothered to pick up.

"So were you a maid before coming here?" Max had also finished his breakfast and left his plate on the table. He walked to a door and before going through turned and added, "The room over there is empty. It use to be Sadie's. Well, actually it was mine before Sadie left, then I took her room. Either way, you can have it. There's a bed and a dresser. And the bathroom's over there." He pointed. "It doesn't lock, so good luck with that." And then he disappeared into the other room, closing the door behind him.

Before entering her new room, Julia realized that this was her new home. With her new family. And her new life in New York City.


	3. Home and a Job

Home and a Job

Upon exploring her new room, Julia had realized that she probably needed some more clothes. Four shirts, two pants, and some socks, all of which had been tucked away in a drawer and so presumably for whomever wished to use them, would probably not be enough to live on comfortably. Upon realizing that she needed more clothes, Julia also realized that she probably needed a job, too. Not just for her new clothes, but for food and maybe rent. She wasn't quite sure if she was expected to pay rent, but she wanted at least to buy some food and contribute in some way.

She had left the house a little apprehensively. Even though Jude and now Max had given her consent to live there, she felt strange walking out, as if the whole time there had been a small dream or alternate reality and now she was back on the streets in New York, unable to return to "Paradise," as Max had so eloquently named the shabby apartment.

This city never seemed to take a break. Every day was like the first one she had spent there, vibrant and alive. One would think someone would tire of that constant life, but Julia knew she wouldn't. She needed a picker upper, some turn in her life where consequences were irrelevant, nonexistent. All that mattered was the here and now.

A red shirt on a mannequin displayed at a window caught her eye, but one look at the store and Julia knew she did not have the money to buy a decent wardrobe there. She needed to find her way to a thrift store.

She hummed a tune in her mind as she walked to the beat of the city. She liked her new home. Jude had captured her completely. She had only met him for a few minutes, but his eyes had conveyed so much beauty. Julia could not deny the sting of jealousy she had felt when Lucy had kissed Jude, or rather Jude had kissed Lucy. But that couple made sense. As beautiful as Jude was, Lucy was more so, in so many other ways. The presence she had was undeniable.

As for Prudence and Rita, they seemed nice enough, not that Julia had spent any quality time with them. Max, on the other hand, was rude, arrogant, and distant. Still, Julia felt her chest clench when she thought that he had been in Vietnam. He seemed so young and innocent, too innocent to have shot a gun, much less to have killed someone. She was sure he probably had killed someone. She still did not like him. He seemed the kind of person who could just as easily be your friend as he could abandon you. But he did not seem to bother with her much.

The prices handwritten on ripped paper tags of the next store read cheap. Just what she needed.

………………………………...

A young blond haired child was crying, her eyes overflowing, in protest to her mother who had placed her on the ground. The child's bright eyes were icy blue and her cheeks flushed red.

Julia was carrying quite a few bags. In them were several items of clothing, a toothbrush, hairbrush, and other essentials, and in one bag were a few food items. She had only three dollars and some spare change left. She really needed a job.

The never ending stairs to her new home were going to become a bit of a bother. Almost to the top, Julia met with Max who seemed rushed as he climbed down.

"Hey, J… Julia? You know, I don't think Luce would be too happy if I let you die on your first day with us." He hadn't even waited for her to respond before he swiftly took most of the bags from her and turned around to take them to the apartment. Julia could barely manage to utter out a small "thank you."

Max was nice enough to drop the bags off on Julia's new bed before winking and walking off. "I'll be back late in case my little sis worries." That laugh in his voice was still there; it never seemed to change.

Julia was a bit taken aback by his abrupt cameo. He seemed to always be that way, in and out in a flash. She began to unpack her clothes into the dusty dresser, sneezing a few times. She had to wipe it through before finishing. She then took her new hygienic essentials to the shared bathroom, hoping no one would use them.

She wanted to make her new bed but could not find any sheets. Instead, she packed away the food she had bought, thinking all the while what kind of job she should get. The thing she knew for sure was that she needed to go hunting for one the following day. She couldn't put that off.

Fresh air from the opened window blew in slowly. Julia found herself staring idly at the fresh blue sky as the commotion of city cars and people swam in quietly.

"Julia, right?" Julia jumped at the voice. She turned and found Prudence, who had walked in without making a sound.

"Yeah, and you're Prudence."

"That's right. So what brought you here to our little abode?" Prudence walked over so lithely that it seemed she was dancing. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, inviting Julia to join her.

"Are you asking me what my story is? Because if you are, I don't have one. My story started when I stepped through that door there." Leaning against the counter, Julia was telling herself this almost as much as she was telling it to Prudence.

"I see." The Asian did not seem bothered by this dodge to her question. Instead her eyes seemed to glaze over and she said, "When I first came here, I didn't use a door. I walked in through the window." She chuckled and did not seem to need any encouragement from Julia to continue this one sided conversation. "And before then… well, my story always seems to be about love."

Julia felt like the small girl was opening a door into herself for Julia to explore.

"I guess you can see that I really don't mind talking about myself. Just tell me if you don't feel like listening." Julia shook her head in a way that urged for Prudence to continue.

"My story is always about love and the mistakes I make. The guy I was with before climbing in through that window… he was a mistake. And so was Alice." Julia was sure that Prudence's eyes had shot up to hers for a moment, testing Julia's reaction to her words. She knew that Prudence was gay, she had figured as much on the first night here. She did not mind.

"Alice was a cheerleader at my school. She was my first love." A car horn honked loudly outside. "But she was a mistake, too.

"After coming here, I found Sadie, but when I saw that she had Jo I left. And I joined a circus." This time, Julia laughed. She hopped off of the counter and sat across from Prudence.

"A circus? You have a colorful life."

"I guess." She smiled, silently conveying just how much she knew that her life was colorful. "I had another love at the circus, a contortionist. And then another in California, where I acted in some small movies. But I came back and met Rita who use to work with Jude. She's an artist, too." Prudence stood and stretched before walking over to Julia and meeting her face to face. "But, you know, if you're ever interested I could make myself available for you."

Julia blushed and the ability to make words seemed to escape her momentarily. Prudence laughed and turned. "You'll like it here. Max and Jude took me in and they have a knack for taking others in. They're both practically my big brothers." She fished out two glass cups from the cupboard, one blue, the other clear. Filling them with water, she handed one to Julia who was still blushing. "You don't have to sleep with them if you don't want to." Had Julia not swallowed her sip of water just before Prudence spoke she might have spit it out in surprise. "I know Jude has his Lucy, and Max always manages to find a girl for the night. He's cocky but cute."

"Hmm," was all Lucy could respond with.

Laughing again, aware that she was making her guest uncomfortable but not sorry for it in the least, Prudence winked. "So, are you all settled in? I saw that Max gave you his old room."

To this Julia could respond. "Actually, no. I couldn't find any sheets. You wouldn't know if you guys have any extra?"

"Sure, I'll help you make your bed."

………………………………...

The streets bustled as they did every day in the city. Julia had slept more comfortably in Max's old bed than she had in days, and she had no complaints to starting her day early job hunting. When she left, Jude had been sketching and painting intently in front of one of the many windows, Max was not there, Prudence and Rita engaged her in easy conversation, and Lucy was sleeping.

It had been Jude who, when he overheard Julia's claim that she needed a job, told her about the diner where Lucy worked. He told her how to get there before returning all of his concentration to his art. Julia could not deny that the idea of working at a diner was a turn off, but she decided to look into it. She had a small urge to go back to the pizza parlor where she had had her first New York meal, but the greasy joint made her stomach roll a little too much for comfort.

A clear ding from a bike bell warned her to move aside as a man made his way speedily down the sidewalk, nearly running into an outraged woman.

The diner was small but crowded. Julia made her way to the front and asked for the owner, whom Jude said was named Bob. Julia giggled at the name, which seemed almost cliché.

Amongst the clatter of the early morning, a plump balding man invited Julia to the back office. He sat down in his seat, wiped sweat off of his thick forehead, and asked, "So, you're looking for a job, huh? You certainly came to the right place. You say you know Lucy?" Bob lit a cigar, signaling to Julia as if to ask permission. When she showed no complaint to his habit, he continued.

"I'm not in the business of doing favors, so don't think that that's what this is." Julia did not respond. "Truth is, this place is damn packed every day. And I'm losing my employees. Lucy I think started college, and two of my other girls have gone away. So I'm giving you the job." Julia's eyes lit up. As much as she had found the idea of working here unattractive, she needed a job and was more than happy that getting one proved easy. Bob continued in a gruff voice, which echoed with the kindness of a man who lived his life around young people, of a father. "But only because I need you, sweetheart. What was is? Jaime?"

"Julia." Julia corrected him, smiling.

"Yeah, Julia. So you got the job. You can start work tomorrow. We've got a few extra uniforms. Just be here at five sharp." This was his dismissal.

Julia thanked Bob, holding back her urge to hug him in appreciation, and she left the diner a working woman.

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Her walk to and from the diner had made time pass more than she had expected it to. Noon was high overhead now, and she was sure that the house would be empty. Jude was working closely with Sadie, a figure Julia had yet to meet but who seemed to come up so often, Julia knew she was deeply embedded into the life this patchwork family had made for themselves, both Sadie and JoJo.

As for Lucy, she probably had classes. She had taken up a study in liberal arts and political revolutions at Columbia. From what Julia could tell, Lucy had made connections with students and teachers at the school and was granted admission without even having to apply. Julia found herself wishing she could have had as easy a ride into college. But then she would not be here, in New York City, and "Paradise."

Rita and Prudence were also busy working on some independent movie art shows. When they spoke about it earlier that morning, Julia did not bother to delve deeper into what exactly that all meant. She knew that those two were probably doing something so far beyond anything Julia could imagine, and she had no qualms leaving them to it.

As for Max, he would probably be driving his yellow cab, the one he had birthed her new life in. As several taxis drove by, Julia wondered if any of them belonged to the arrogant man who had lead her to this new family.

Already planning dinner since Julia was quite sure that she was the only one with nothing to do all day, she walked into the apartment and went straight to her room. She liked thinking that: it was her room.

She changed into a silky dress that moved like water along the contours of her body. She was comfortable and decided that she would grill some chicken.

She walked out into the kitchen and nearly screamed in shock as she stood face to face with a nude Max, who had just made his way out of the bathroom.

"Shit!" He threw the towel he had just used to dry his hair over his body and quickly made his way back to his room. Julia could hear noisy commotion as he attempted to clothe himself, and she could not help but laugh. The incident had caught her completely by surprise.

"Max, what's the matter?" This new voice caught Julia's attention. It belonged to a woman.

"Dammit, Eleanor, just put some clothes on!" Obviously ignoring Max's request, or command, Julia could not tell which it was, this woman apparently named Eleanor walked into the hall naked. She was full bodied and very pretty. She looked to Julia with nonchalance.

"Who are you, honey? You Max's girlfriend?"

"No." Julia was a little overwhelmed by this woman's nudity and awkward question. "No, I'm his roommate. Sorry to bother you guys. I'll just be in the kitchen."

"Oh, it's alright, sweetheart. I was just on my way out." Eleanor walked back into the room, and Julia made her way to the kitchen. She could feel her cheeks burning.

Several minutes later, after Julia had begun to organize all the things she would need for that night's dinner, Eleanor walked in with Max close behind her. They walked to the door and whispered their goodbyes. As far as Julia could tell, Eleanor had been a one night treat for Max, or rather a one afternoon treat.

Before leaving, the woman called to Julia. "Bye, honey. It was nice to meet you." She chuckled with a deep, confident voice and left before Julia could answer.

Alone now with Max after having just seen every physical secret he had, Julia felt awkward. Apparently, Max did not mind so much.

"You making dinner tonight?" He was clothed now, wearing ragged jeans and a tropical colored button-up shirt. "I had been planning to just go get some pizza." He eyed the chicken Julia had laid out on the counter. "But I've gotta say I am tired of pizza."

"Yeah. I'm making chicken. Is that alright?" Julia was annoyed at the shake in her voice that gave away her embarrassment.

"Definitely. I haven't had real food in a while. Prudence and Rita don't cook, and Lucy's been going to school and work so she never has time."

It was not till then that Julia noticed a change in Max's voice. The inaudible yet ever-present laugh that she had become accustomed to was gone. She chanced a glance at him and noticed that his cheeks were colored. When his crystal blue eyes met hers for a moment she quickly looked away. She realized that Max was not altogether unfazed by being caught nude. She could not help but chuckle.

"So are you calling this place home now?" His voice seemed a little steadier now, regaining some of its normal tone.

"Yeah, if that's alright with everyone,"

"Are you kidding. This place is made for strangers. Fuck, anyone's welcome here." He began to play idly with a pencil and paintbrush that sat on the counter, drumming them to some unknown rhythm.

"I was wondering, though," she felt her embarrassment ease as well, although she still could not bring herself to look at him, "what exactly the rent arrangements were. I got a job today so I won't be broke." She was searching for the salt. "Hmmm, salt," she spoke quietly to herself.

"I'll talk to Lucy about that. She's better at keeping up with it." He was very close to her now, and she felt her body tense. He reached over and pulled out of one of the top drawers a cardboard cylinder labeled "salt."

"Thank you." She took the item from him and avoided touching his hand.

Max laughed and walked to the door. "I'm headed out but I'll be home in time to eat that chicken." He rubbed his belly in full approval of Julia's dinner preparations before tipping a nonexistent hat to her and walking out.

Julia finally felt herself relax. Prudence had mentioned that Max had his ladies every now and then, she just hadn't expected to meet one so soon and in such a rash way. She blushed thinking back on it. She couldn't decide whether the situation made her like Max any more or less. It should have made her like him less, should have even further displayed his arrogance, but it didn't. She could not say she liked him more for it, but she knew him more. And she did not object to that.

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End file.
